I fled Boston and my cheating jerk of an ex with three hundred dollars and a lip gloss in my pocket. Waking up the next day in Burlington, Vermont, with a crick in my back and a frozen ass wasn’t exactly in the plan. If there was one. Which there wasn’t. Story of my life.

Three hours later and I’ve been hired as temporary help in the local veterinary and grooming clinic, which is kind of impressive since I know zip about animals and even less about grooming. But one thing I do know—I’m crushing hard on the sexy, absent-minded vet I work for.

My life is a hot mess. The last thing I need is another relationship. Emmett pushes all my buttons, but he isn’t out. He's overwhelmed with a business to run and a son to look after and the kind of domestic life I never thought I wanted.

I should walk away.

But Emmett believes in me, and I might just be starting to believe in myself. As different as we are, is it possible we're exactly what the other needs?

Unguarded by Jay Hogan is the story of Emmett a single Dad, a widow who when we meet him just trying to keep his head above water as he manages his veterinarian clinic and the challenge of being a single parent to Leo and Tai a man who quite literally wanders into town.

Leo, Emmett’s son, was so adorable….the use of him in the story shows the reason so much about Emmett but even more it shines a window into Tai’s soul!

The reason Tai wanders into town plays both into the way he sees himself and is used really well as this story plays out.

As it related to sexuality the way this was handles was wonderful, it turns out Emmett knew he was bi (his deceased wife also knew) and his son has a friend with a gay dad so though there are some challenges they aren’t about self-acceptance and I adored that!

All of this has me so impressed with Hogan as an author and I will definitely be reaching the blurbs on future releases!

Emmett’s friend and man of shared emotion scars Jesper really pulled at my heart… and I am so freaking excited to read Jesper’s happy next in Daybreak by Kate Hawthorne

Unguarded is set in the Vino and Veritas world and I have loved so many of these stories!

Click on each to read my review of Featherbed, Heartscape, and Heartstrong!

My only real “issue” with this series as an epilogue lover… it is a bit frustrating to have to click a link and “signup” to get the extended epilogue for these stories… again this might be just me… because I am such a HUGE fan of the seeing the forever happy and so many of these authors are delivering that in space with the end delivered via email after.